Affordable Custom Apparel

Who we are

At our core, Tee Guru USA is an online apparel design studio and one-stop shop for predesigned T-shirts that celebrate everyday heroes. Our mission, however, goes much deeper. As a black-owned business, our team is committed to giving back and supporting our community, and we achieve this by proudly donating a portion of our monthly sales to organizations impacting the communities where we and our customers do business.

Tee Guru USA meets the customized apparel needs of small mom-and-pop shops and larger businesses alike – and everyone else in between. Our easy-to-use online design studio allows clients to create personalized screen-printed or embroidered apparel and accessory items for any occasion.

We know business owners don’t have time to waste, and our efficient interface makes it simple to choose garment styles, colors, and quantity, even on the go. With affordable pricing for the highest-quality items, our design studio is also ideal for personal use, providing families with the means to celebrate those important and memorable life moments with customized apparel.

Not all heroes wear capes

Tee Guru USA originally began as an online apparel design studio, but with giving back at the core of our mission, we knew we had a unique opportunity to help when the coronavirus pandemic hit. As a way to honor and celebrate the everyday heroes we saw nightly on the news – from healthcare personnel and teachers, to delivery drivers and food service workers – we created a line of pre-designed T-shirts with the intention of providing a simple, but engaging gift to be shared with the heroes in our communities. The ‘Hero Collection’ T-shirts sport purposeful yet minimal designs that pack a strong punch and can be enjoyed by anyone.

While the core of our business remains customized apparel, the ‘Hero Collection’ creates an additional revenue stream and customer base. Clients can browse the pre-made designs while also ordering their customized apparel for corporate events or employees. Or, people specifically looking for a unique gift to thank the hero in their life can find the perfect T-shirt that will stand the test of time. Our pivot into pre-designed apparel based on changing needs and the current climate not only demonstrates our adaptability in the market, but also that the desire to give back is truly at the heart of our business.

The market

The global decorated apparel market was valued at $26.75 billion in 2018 with a forecasted market expansion at a CAGR of 10.91% between 2019-2025. As one of the first Black-owned custom apparel e-commerce sites in the US, we have a unique opportunity to break into the market at a time when many Black-owned businesses are being highlighted and widely shared.

As a Black-owned business, we understand first-hand the uphill battle of starting a new business and breaking into a market, and this is why once launched, we want to do our part to give back to our community and provide opportunities for other BIPOC entrepreneurs. Compared to white- and male-owned new businesses, we face considerable barriers to accessing traditional routes of funding. According to the Federal Reserve System’s 2016 Small Business Credit Survey, Black women business owners are denied loans or receive higher interest rates than white counterparts and are overall less likely to receive some or all of requested financing needed, despite control factors such as credit (CNBC). This is why crowdfunding and your direct support is so crucial to our success.

In 2019, Black women made up 21% of all women-owned businesses, making our demographic the largest segment of women-owned businesses following non-minority women. Furthermore, in 2019 Black women-owned businesses grew at a rate of 12% compared to an 8% annual growth rate between 2014 and 2019, illustrating the clear market desire for more Black women business owners (Score). While the start-up market for Black women is alarming, these new statistics are hopeful and illustrate the opportunity for success with your support.

Why we need you

To successfully launch our e-commerce site, we need additional funding to help finance a two- pronged goal.

• Our most immediate needs include upgrades to our screen printing and embroidery equipment to keep up-to-date with advancements in technology. This is core to our businesses model and the upgrades are necessary to ensure our high quality standards and to compete with other e-commerce apparel design studios. We also seek funding initially to secure a permanent workspace to facilitate our orders and house our equipment.

• The second prong represents funding we need for our longer-term personnel goals. We would like to expand our pre-designed apparel line and help facilitate one-on-one design consultations for clients who need apparel items and logo design assistance. This will allow us to offer an enhanced personalized experience for our customers while continuing to create pre-designed apparel for different occasions that can be purchased separately or as an add-on to a customized order. To build upon our two main revenue streams and highlight our community activism, we will also use this later funding to hire a marketing manager who can be dedicated to expanding our reach digitally while also enhancing our goal to highlight and celebrate everyday heroes in our communities.

Our dream home

A permanent brick-and-mortar workspace is essential to our core business and is one of the main reasons why we need your financial support. Our ideal workspace includes an inviting lobby and meeting space that will allow us to eventually meet with clients and potential vendors in person. The space will also house all our equipment as well as a packaging and distribution area to fill and send off orders in an efficient and timely manner. This state-of-the-art workspace will allow us to operate as a one-stop shop to complete every aspect of our business, from design consultation to product creation and finally shipping.

We appreciate your help

Giving back grounds our business, but we also need a little help to get started. To successfully launch Tee Guru USA, we need you to back us. Your support will allow us to add the finishing touches to our business. After building up our client base, we can continue to scale up by bringing in new members to our team. Your support now will literally provide us the foundation for our operation.

Client interaction

When a new crisis hits the news, many companies step up to help. But we take it a step further. Regardless of the political or financial forecast, we are committed to giving back each and every month that we operate. Monthly, a portion of our sales will be donated to a worthy organization impacting the communities where we and our customers do business. 

Our CEO

Tee Guru USA was started as a way to combine our CEO's passions and longtime desire to own her own business. With an undergraduate degree in Public Relations as well as a Masters of Professional Accounting, she is uniquely prepared to launch and successfully run an e-commerce site. Her 11-year background as a field accountant gives her a nuanced and realistic understanding of the financial aspects of running a business while her experience in public relations as well as her work as a freelance graphic designer acutely prepare her for a digitally- based career path. As a woman of color, she believes in the power of community and hopes to inspire others with her mission.

• Score: https://www.score.org/blog/state-african-american-owned-businesses)

• CNBC: https://www.google.com/ amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/02/25/underfunded-female-demographic-is-launching…- most-start-ups-in-us.html